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‘Not Without Hope’ Opens In Theaters To Early Praise For Performances, With Technical Caveats

Early reviews highlight respectful storytelling with strong performances, noting CGI and pacing concerns.

Overview

  • The survival drama opened in theaters on December 12, 2025.
  • Joe Carnahan directs the adaptation of the 2009 Gulf boating ordeal, with Zachary Levi as Nick Schuyler alongside Quentin Plair, Terrence Terrell and Marshall Cook.
  • Production centered on rigorous water‑tank shoots in Malta that the cast describes as physically and emotionally taxing.
  • Early reviewers commend the film’s respectful tone and committed performances, especially Levi’s, while flagging awkward CGI and cutaways to Coast Guard sequences that weaken momentum.
  • TheWrap offers a more critical view, citing clunky exposition and an uneven lead performance even as it finds stretches of immersive sea-bound filmmaking.